A Lightweight Structure Redesign Method Based on Selective Laser Melting

Abstract

Abstract:The purpose of this paper is to present a new design method of lightweight parts fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) based on the "Skin-Frame" and to explore the influence of fabrication defects on SLM parts with different sizes. Some standard lattice parts were designed according to the Chinese GB/T 1452-2005 standard and manufactured by SLM. Then these samples were tested in an MTS Insight 30 compression testing machine to study the trends of the yield process with different structure sizes. A set of standard cylinder samples were also designed according to the Chinese GB/T 228-2010 standard. These samples, which were made of iron-nickel alloy (IN718), were also processed by SLM, and then tested in the universal material testing machine INSTRON 1346 to obtain their tensile strength. Furthermore, a lightweight redesigned method was researched. Then some common parts such as a stopper and connecting plate were redesigned using this method. These redesigned parts were fabricated and some application tests have already been performed. The compression testing results show that when the minimum structure size is larger than 1.5 mm, the mechanical characteristics will hardly be affected by process defects. The cylinder parts were fractured by the universal material testing machine at about 1069.6 MPa. These redesigned parts worked well in application tests, with both the weight and fabrication time of these parts reduced more than 20%.

Porosity, cracks, and mechanical properties of additively manufactured tooling alloys: a review

“…Furthermore, the height of the flow straightener from the powder bed and the type of shielding gas also affect the build quality [29]. Figure 3 shows some examples of applications created using L-PBF [30,31].…”

“…These issues lead to a lack of confidence in Fig. 3 Applications created by L-PBF technology a topology optimised bracket for aerospace industry [30], b stopper and (c) connecting plate for automotive industry [31] (The figures are reused under the Creative Commons Attribution License.) the quality obtained through L-PBF and need to be overcome in order for the technology to be fully applied in the production industry.…”

Discrete Optimization of Internal Part Structure via SLM Unit Structure-Performance Database

“…Thin-walled structures and auxiliary structures, such as bolt holes, screw holes, keyways, and auxiliary positioning structures, were not suitable for internal structural We created the shell of the model in the Solidworks software. According to a previous study [19], when the thickness of the skin is 2 mm, the structure can achieve higher strength and rigidity, while the weight reduces. Therefore, the thickness of the shell was set at 2 mm and the sensor mount after the shell operation is shown in Figure 10a.…”